Although Celtic created the overwhelming majority of chances last night, they were punished for unforced errors. This is why Malmo are still in the tie.
Lots of positives were evident. Malmo could only foul James Forrest. He is fit and simply unstoppable. Celtic’s least effective periods of the game coincided with when they failed to get James on the ball. When he did get the ball, he often attracted three defenders, which curtailed his options but opened up space for others.
Next week James should find more space. Malmo’s main concern for the return leg will be how to cope with him.
Leigh Griffiths is on fire. He had no right to score his second goal, it was never his ball. The timing of his leap, combined with his reach and finish, were first class. He’ll fancy himself for a goal out there.
Our passing early on was as good as it has been all season but something went wrong, I think Scott Brown and Stefan Johansen’s roles changed. Scott bossed the opening 20 minutes but towards the end of the first half, a tension had crept in.
When our defenders had the ball at their feet, the options they had earlier simply weren’t there. Think back to the early moments when Scott dropped deeper than the two central defenders to give them options in possession. There was one occasion when Brown dropped to collect a forward pass from Boyata, before passing onto Forrest and then Armstrong, who carved an opening, all achieved without resistance. Our movement made Malmo look pedestrian. We lost our way when those options dried up.
We know what we will get from Forrest and Griffiths but the key three Celtic players next week will be Brown, Bitton and Johansen. Hareide criticised Celtic’s fitness, it’s certainly clear that the early pace we set was not maintained, although it could be argued that pace was impossible to maintain. If Brown, Bitton and Johansen have the stamina to cover the acreage they did for parts of the game last night, we will be comfortable in Sweden.
The major concern is the likely absence of Mikael Lustig. Efe and Dedryck both need immediately-available options in possession. It will be absolutely critical that they are not left to play long clearing balls forward. If this happens, we will invariably lose possession and Malmo will be able to build sustained attacks.
Ronny may decide to deploy Saidy Janko instead of Efe. Efe got the nod for the bench last night as we needed cover for both central defence and right back (he’s also convered left on occasion). None of us have enough information on Saidy to offer an informed opinion on this option yet, but he may be asked to step forward.
Malmo got as much out of last night’s game as was possible. They scored two goals and didn’t pass up a good chance. We have the lead and there’s nothing too worrying in what we saw from the visitors. They will play a different game at home, have more possession and create more chances, but Celtic will create lots of chances of their own.
There’s a hard 90 minutes ahead, but it’s in our own hands, and Ronny’s right, we can win out there. This tie has a Blackburn feel about it.
One for the golfers…….
Taggsybhoy is raffling a Round of Golf for 4 at the magnificent Aberdour Golf Course, where our annual CQN Golf Open takes place, to support his Great Scottish Run campaign in aid of the Celtic Foundation. The auction ends next week and you can bid on it here on ebay. Check it out, and check out what YOUR Foundation does as well.
This is a brilliant way to get involved and achieve something significant, well done to Taggsy for taking the initiative.
Thanks to everyone who donated as part of yesterday’s competition to win a Celtic Euro shirt, courtesy of Magners. Special thanks to the winner, Glasgowdave, for allowing us to auction the shirt at a later date. You’re not a bad lot.
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BIG-CUP-WINNERS
I like Armstrong as a player and think he will be a main stay. GMS will do a turn in Scotland but not in Europe. For me the Cifti signing was a shocker, not just because of him but because it’s a shocking representation of our scouting network to suggest that he is the best player available to Celtic in that position. Nobody can seriously tell me that we have scouted all over the world and Cifti is the best we could come up with.
I needed an emergency appointment with my doctor this morning.
He diagnosed Late Goal Syndrome.
LGS is a psychological condition normally affecting a particular group of people in the same way but can have especially severe consequences for individuals within the group who are prone to nervous tension. The syndrome strikes when an important goal is scored in the last few minutes of a game which affects the overall result of that game or tie.
The syndrome is split into 2 categories, Positive and Negative NGS.
If the goal is scored in favour of the team which an individual supports, Positive LGS results. PLGS can bring on extraordinary behaviour by individuals affected including euphoria, hugging/kissing strangers, raised heart rate/pulse, damage (normally temporary) to vocal chords, loss of items from jacket pockets such as wallets/mobile phones. Whilst the immediate affects are severe and carry risk of heart attack, normally they subside and can be beneficial in the long term as they leave mood enhancing memories for many years to come.
However, if a goal is scored against the favoured team, Negative LGS is likely to apply. NLGS is a very worrying condition and must be managed carefully.
Normally Warning signs which can help you to prepare for NLGS are visible before the condition strikes, e.g.:
• Your team is prone to be caught on the break
• Your team starts giving away possession or free kicks or corner kicks
• Your team introduces late substitutes
Exacerbating factors can include:
• Goal is scored by an ex-player of the team which suffers the loss
• Goal is scored by a player who is particularly disliked
• Goal is scored in a Champions League Qualifying tie by an ex-player (double doze NLGS is likley)
NLGS symptoms on the individual:
• Passive – Sinking to knees/head in hands/balefully looking at the sky, floor or inanimate object
• Aggressive – verbal loss of control, abusing members of the team – even those who were not involved in the goal loss,
• A mixture of both reactions is likely
NLGS symptoms in the population:
• Mass disappointment ranging to hysteria
• Blogs are overwhelmed by occasional posters who mostly appear following a defeat or loss of a late goal, thereby denying the suffer the consolation of a good greet with normal friends
Cure:
• None known to psychological science.
• Condition must be self-managed or via therapy groups comprising members of the population similarly affected
However, the doctor did say that in a two legged tie, it is possible that PLGS can reverse NLGS so ….Let us get it right next week.
the first 30mins last night were as good as I’ve seen from Celtic but as we know the games lasts for 90+ mins. I’m confident we can progress in to the group stages.. Thought the crowd were brilliant ‘created a great atmosphere. Special mention to all the great CQNers in the BV yesterday afternoon OT, BT Sipsini,Richie, Desertbhoy Bognor Bhoy An Tearmann Traveller Bhoy,Roamer? Dena 29 -what a lady!! and the others I’ve missed. Great bunch of Lhads and Lhasses. If that represents a clique so be it, look forward to making your aquanitance again. Hail Hail Hebcelt. BTW bumped in to Bognor Bhoy at 6:15 in the airport – small world
Saint Stivs
Forrest was good last night, he just was.
LiviBhoy on 20th August 2015 12:42 pm
Happy birthday to Leigh Griffiths. 25 today.
Hasn;t had a wean since he joined us! Maybe he is maturing.
LB
=====================================================
No, he’s now sponsored by durex.
weeminger on 20th August 2015 1:13 pm Saint Stivs on 20th August 2015 1:10 pm
James Forrest completed 24 of 27 attempted passed – 89%.
—————
all of them backwards ?
you got a link to his stats ?
TinyTim on 20th August 2015 12:56 pm Cifti shouldn’t be anywhere near this Celtic team.
He is an absolute dumpling.Wayne Bigginsesque.
======================
We can only hope once his match sharpness is closer to 100% he will prove his worth.
The fact he even looks like Biggins doesn’t help :)
HH
aquaintance
he just wisnae.
“The second came from a weak Effe tackle that allowed the cross that led to the corner.”
Auldheid,
Indeed, but there was more football to be played after the ball went past efe.
Two of our best players went for the same ball and neither done much good.
Like Gordon v inter….it happens.
HH
Paul,
Would you mind emailing that pic of the 1st hole please?
I’m taking some friends there next Friday
P
Would be great if Ambrose would just leave the club.
The man is an idiot and can’t defend, Ray Charles could figure that out and he’s dead.
Saw Van Dijk losing the rag with him last night. He instils fear and panic in the defence whenever he plays. Boyata needs to sharpen up his game too.
I can’t believe the ref played 85 minutes injury time last night. Shocking!!! Game in bag and then the board went up. My heart sank.
MWD said AYE
Hope over Fear, but alas you unionist loyalist Tims won’t understand that :)
Tofiq Bahramov
Careful what you wish for.
Who gets the blame if Efe goes?
LB
Still devastated by the Lustig injury. A dark day in Davidopoulos-polis…
On the brightest of bright sides, I have a phobia of 3-1 first leg home wins after the scarring experience of Basel, so it’s probably just as well we didn’t win 3-1. But then again, this did happen in that match:
Momo Momo, Momo Momo, Momo Momo, Momo Momo Sylla:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imo9qBbrgVs
For what it’s worth, looking back on the game I thought Stefan Johansen contributed to our fade in the second half.
Broony and Biton got overwhelmed at times as they tired. Johansen was absent from his defensive post on many an ocassion when they could have done with an out-ball.
It’s part of his game, tho – he has to make forward runs and get the timing right or we suffer. Last night was one of those off-nights when most of his running after 15 minutes was futile, down cul-de-sacs, and his erratic positional play became costly to a fatigued midfield who had set a furious early pace.
You could say he’s a bit of a luxury at times and hard decisions need to be made around the hour mark if it’s not going for him. I thought Kris Commons would have come on last night if it were not for Lustig’s injury.
James Forrest played a Sammi-esque role. Great attitude to his job, foraging inside when needed. Only criticism is that he’s got the pace and ability to really toast defenders if he commits himself to doing so. That’s a confidence thing, however. I hope he gets the backing he needs to go from whipping-bhoy to idol. He’s got the ability, and their back line were very anxious about him. I’d ask the team to use him at every opportunity in Sweden until he’s burnt out; play him in, let him run at them on the wing and thru the centre, give him balls to chase and turn their full-back, make it a flat-out sprint to contain him; He’ll carve them up at some point and we need to capitalise.
And use Janko at RB without concern. He’s more than ready to take on Malmo after serving his time at Man U.
2-0 Celtic next Tueday.
Bawsman
Hampden. But I’m hoping we can be more expansive next week.
Let’s just say it’s proving awkward. E mail me via Paul.
Lb,
My two mate were going daft about efe and izzy for the two goals last night.
1 even blamed efe for losing his man at the corner!!!!
What’s more amazing is these two guys coach.
Scapegoat csc
sammy – esque ?
you mean without going passed any defender , and without creating a chance or a shot ?
LiviBhoy
He would have been seeking a new place of employment the morning after the Juventus game in 2013.
The first match he played for Celtic i turned to the fella sitting next to me and said he was going to be nothing but heartache. And he hasn’t disappointed yet.
The man is not fit for purpose, and in any other line of work he would have been given his walking papers along ago.
cmon guys, give me the proof , those magic moments of brilliance , that the brilliant james forrest did last night ,
anyone ?
cmon, there was tht one time that he did ………..
Georgio Munro
Indeed but in the one to one situation Effe who is no weakling lost in a tackle he should have won.
VVD gave him pelts. I think that anger was behind VVD’s determination to attack the corner.
I’m pretty tolerant of Effe but at that level he causes nerves in the defense.
Mr Pastry on 20th August 2015 10:50 am
This season frail and naive;
Kilmarnock
ICT
Malmo
Anyone who genuinely believes that we will win this tie needs their head examined.
====================================================================
That’s a keeper.
Regarding the The Norwegian lad who formerly wore the Hoops without distinction and gave us a lot of grief last night, got me thinking about another Mr Bangura who gave us a helluva bad time when we played another Swedish outfit in an away qualifier. He did not score on that occasion and we just about scraped through the tie.
What did Efe do that was so wrong? First goal he wasn’t on the park, second goal it wasn’t him who jumped into Bitton. Did he make a couple of errors, yes, but so did VVD, Boyata, Lustig, Izzy and all of the midfielders in front of them.
Seems he’s a whipping boy for the sake of the need to have a whipping boy. Yes he’s had nightmares before, usually due to lack of concentration, and has been rightly criticised for it but slagging him off when others are at fault seems harsh.
People on here don’t know what they’re talking about.
They say that Jo Inge Berget couldn’t kick a ball for us last season, then scores two great goals against us last night.
Surely a case of mistaken identity? There are obviously two footballing Jo Inge Berget’s.
The one who scored against us had a sensible business like haircut, and a manly beard.
The one who made some cameo appearances for us last year had a very straggly bum fluff beard and a poncy girlie pony tail on top of my head hairdo. Clearly two different individuals.
VizTopTips CFC
Tofiq Bahramov
Ah the Juventus match. I wondered when it would be mentioned. Big Efe was excellent up to that game. I never met one Celtic fan leading up to the home tie who wasn;t desperate for Efe to be back from the African Nations in time. I sometimes wish big Efe had told them to ram it and partied with his countrymen.
I too believe now his time is up but he doesn;t get the blame for every goal when he is on the pitch. The team should and could have scored more goals last night and the tie would have been dead. None of that was Efe’s fault.
Hope Efe gets a good move and does well. Comes across as a very genuine fella.
LB
the gb display last night.
it looked good from the opposite corner , looks even better close up.
not a breid wrapper in site.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCm7Qxa6kEc
Rogic must step into Lustigs spot!!
Not nice to call a Celtic player an idiot imo.
gary67
Ambrose has a nightmare every time he pulls on the jersey and the panic sets through the whole team due to him being on the same filed of play as every one else.
The only points we’ve dropped this season is when that clown started.
Common’s ripped him a new one in the press after Juventus, had i been in the team, it wouldn’t have been words i’d be hitting him with, but the engine of a large vehicle.
The man is an idiot, you only need to watch him on the field of play to know that he has no idea what he is doing.
mamlo sultras in the merchant square.
i thought their fans were better than their team.
sounds famiiar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOivE5_GUFs
Gary67,
Boom.
Nail on head.
He’s not my first choice but it’s come to the stage now where ‘we’re’ making up stuff to have a go at him about.
HH
I am not a PL hater, nor a board hater, I just don’t think, nor believe they are doing as good a job as they can.
Most of them, all of them in fact are at the top of the tree in their respective fields, yet they struggle to transfer this to the running of the team, note I said team and not club.
Comunications is a field in which they excell, yet the likes of Celtic TV is by and large a bit of a joke, I have seen nothing in the direction of transforming this, there are plenty of respected posters who have written about how this can be done without much outlay, and the rewards are staggering.
Pedro told us that every penny would be reinvested in the team, maybes he meant club, whatever he meant, that was a porkie, the books tell you that, we are cash rich, we have money in the bank, not much, but we have money, what good is money when the team on the pitch can’t compete with the likes of those who have much less to play with.
Who is to blame for that ?
The manager it seems from what is getting post on here, who employed the manager ?
On who’s watch is this happening ?
The scouting dept is a joke, the coach is trying to revamp it, but it takes time, time that most are not willing to give him, if he crashes and burns, another cheap option will be brought in, and the whole cycle will begin all over.
Maybes sometimes patience is the order of the day, maybes having the hun to compete with will take the edge off the like of last night, last night which if you had read my posts, I am happy enough with, we won, we are still in the driving seat.
I do not ever want to see the hun back at Celtic park, but they will be, and back with a vengence, the suits will be happy tho.
Just ask your self, would we sign Lubo today ?
If the answer is NO, and it is, why not ?
This needs to be addressed.
Things to do.
HH
S S
Brill”” Any cure for the buffeting out there??
Livibhoy
Efe does seem genuine fella and I feel very sorry for him to be honest.. He’s lost it completely.
It’s crazy how downhill he has gone since that juve game, he needs move on to save his career.
Our defence without VVD (who isn’t perfect) in the champions league literally scares me.
And we know longer have a joe Ledley and big vic to help protect them. We have Scott brown and that’s it.
Saint Stivs
James Forrest took the heat last night. Haven;t seen the stats but I would wager he was the most fouled player on the pitch last night. He took the ball for a walk. He took defenders on. He made runs to create space. At our most potent in the first half the full back facing James was terrified. James has that unqiue attribute that really scares full backs and that is pace running with the ball.
It was no surprise that we scored two in quick succession early doors I think James was involved in both. I may be wrong but I think he was involved in the first and also won the corner for the 2nd. I think BRTH made an interesting point earlier regarding Stein strategy with Lennox and Johnstone. Not comparing our current side to any of the Lions by the way but with their defensive players doubling up to contain James it gave more room down the left.
In all honesty the only people who can back up how good james was last night is the Malmo players and as they seem to be the new darlings of the Scottish media you may well get your answer this next 5 days or so.
In comparison to your question though.
What did Scott Brown do last night?
Did he set up a goal?
Did he cause us to concede one?
What exactly did he do?
We all know what Broony does. He is important to us with his presence and he is our leader. I felt James had a bit of presence last night and when he got the ball their defenders panicked. To me that is job done for young Jamesie.
If Jamesie sets up a goal or scores one then it’s a great days work. I thought he was excellent last night and it’s great to see one of our own through the ranks play so well at Paradise in Europe.
Bit of a ramble but I am standing up for the wee man.
LB
If we had lost 2-3 in sweden in the first leg i would think i would be sure we would be in a very cagey situation at celtic park
Do we go for it with the crowd urging us on – and risk the sucker punch ( often happens)
I think malmo will go for it – we will score at least once – and go through